Hakodate Morning Market’s “Squid Fishing” All-in-One Service — Like Watching a Live Seafood Gourmet Show

▲ Hakodate Morning Market in Hokkaido.

Reported and photographed by Reporter You T-Ru / Hokkaido
 
How can you visit Hokkaido without trying its seafood? Hakodate Morning Market has long been a must-visit spot for travelers to Hokkaido. In addition to sampling various fresh seafood, the market and its stalls offer a “live squid fishing” service — in just a few minutes, vendors can fully prepare the squid and serve it on your plate, as if you’re watching a live seafood gourmet show right there.


▲You can also get sea urchin, scallops, and crab.
 

Hakodate Morning Market is located next to JR Hakodate Station in Hokkaido. It operates from early morning until around noon, with about 400 stalls. King crabs, sea urchins, scallops, and more are highlights here. But if there’s one recommended dish at the market, it’s Hakodate’s famous squid, highly recommended by locals. Toshio Fujimori from the Hokkaido Tourism Promotion Agency pointed out that the squid fishing experience at the market center is especially worth seeing — from catching to on-site processing and tasting, it’s like a live seafood performance show.

A large tank sits right in the center of the market, with water gently flowing inside as squids swim about. Vendors provide visitors with fishing rods. Just dip the rod into the water, aim for a squid, and gently hook it. The caught squid is then processed on-site at the stall — after removing the internal organs, the rest of the squid is served up for you to enjoy.


▲ After fishing, the squid is prepared right on-site.


The taste of the squid here is quite different from elsewhere — it’s notably crisp, with a firm bite and a sweet, fresh flavor completely free of fishy taste. In Hokkaido and the Tohoku region, a unique aspect of live-caught squid is that you can eat the squid liver raw. Locals often mix the liver with soy sauce to use as a dipping sauce. The rich liver sauce also brings out the sweetness of the seafood.

You can also enjoy it as sashimi — it’s especially delicious.


Hakodate Morning Market
Address: 9-19 Wakamatsu-cho, Hakodate City, Hokkaido
Phone: 0138-22-7981
Business Hours: January to April 06:00–12:00; May to December 05:00–12:00 (some stalls open until 15:00)